Clip connecter



March 23, 1937. w, H, BR WN 2,@74,324

CLIP CONNECTER Filed Sept. 18, 1934 INVENTOR.

MAL/HM H EEOWN ATTORNEYS Patented Mar. 23, 1937 CLIP CONNECTER William H. Brown, Cleveland, Ohio, assignor to Mueller Electric Company, Cleveland, Ohio, a partnership composed oi Ralph S. Mueller, Maude K. Mueller, Virginia de Coningh, and

Scott Mueller Application September 18, 1934, Serial No. 744,556 3 Claims. (Cl. 173-273) This invention relates to an electrical connecter clip for making an electrical connection between two conductors and is particularly adapted for use in making electrical connections in a radio 5 instrument, although, of course, it is obvious that its utility is not limited to this alone.

An object of the invention is to provide an electrical connecting clip which enables electrical connections to be made at points which are inmaccessible and wherein it would be dimcult to employ the usual form of connecting clip.

Another object is to provide an electrical connecting clip ofthe characterspecified which is of simple construction and whichenables the connection to be made quickly and easily.

Further and additional objects and advantages inherent in the invention will become apparent hereinafter during the following detailed description of an embodiment of the invention which is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein v I Fig. i is an' elevational view of the connecter clip embodying the invention with certain parts thereof broken away and shown in section, the

parts of the clip being illustrated in the position they normally maintain, that is, in the position wherein the gripping means or jaws of the clip are closed.

Fig. 2 is an elevational view of the connecter clip with the parts shown in the position they as-,

sume when the gripping means or jaws are open.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary perspective view of the arrows.

The invention contemplates a device comprising an insulating sleeve from one end of which extend the gripping means or jaws for gripping an electrical conductor or otherv element, while from the opposite end of the sleeve extends the means for moving the gripping means or'jaws to open position, a spring being provided for normally maintaining the jaws in closed position.

' The invention further contemplates that the gripping means or jaws are connected by an electrically conductive medium toa binding screw or post to which an electrical wire or conductor may be connected.

Referring to the drawing the insulating sleeve of the conductor clip is indicated at! and said sleeve may be formed of any suitable insulating material. While the gripping means or jaws and the elements for operating the same may take various forms, there, has been shown herein by way of illustration a very simple form of construction for the gripping means or jaws and the operating elements thereof.' This construction is made up in the present instance of a single piece of wire ll, preferably copper wire, while the gripping means orjaws oi the clip are formed of a loop portion l2 and a hook portion 13 at the The end of the wire free ends of the wire II. I I carrying the hook portion l3 extends through the loop portion II in the other end of the wire in such manner that the former end oi the wire may slide in and be guided by the loop I2. The end portions of the wire II carrying the loop l2 and hook l3 extend outwardly from one end of the insulating sleeve III, while from the opposite end of the sleeve l0 both branches of the wire extend outwardly in the opposite direction and are connected by a coil spring M which is an integral part of the wire I l.. One of the branches of the wire II at a point between the sleeve l0 and the spring i4 is wrapped or looped around a binding screw l5 upon which is a binding nut It. An electrical wire or conductor. not shown, may be secured to this branch of the wire H by means of the binding screw l5 and nut l6, as will be well understood. If desired, those portions of.

the wire ll including the spring l4 and the part that is wrapped around the binding screw l5 may be coated with a suitable insulatingenamel or lacquer.

It will be noted that the spring I4 will maintain the hook l3 normally in engagement with the loop l2, as indicated in Fig. 1. When it is desired to electrically connect the wire or conductor which is secured to the device by the binding screw l5 and nut Hi to another electrical con-- ductor or other element the user may grasp the device between his first and second fingers at the binding screw l5 and then press inwardly with his thumb upon the outer end of the spring It to cause the branch of the wire ll carrying the hook I3 to move inwardly so as to separate the hook I3 from the loop l2, as clearly indicated in Fig. 2. The hook l3 may then be passed over an electrical wire or other element and when the user removes his thumb from the end of the spring M the latter will cause the hook to move toward the loop I 2 and the electrical wire or other element will be gripped by the gripping member or jaws of the clip.

It will be seen that an electrical connecter clip electrical connections to be made in inaccessible radio and similar instruments and that the operation of the device is extremely simple and easy.

Although a preferred form oi the invention has been illustrated and described herein, it should be understood that the invention is susceptible of various modifications and adaptations within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. An electrical connecter clip comprising an insulating sleeve, a single piece of electrically conductive wire bent to form two branches extending through said sleeve and interconnected exteriorly of one end of said sleeve by an integral coil spring portion, the free ends of said branches extending outwardly of the opposite end of said sleeve and one having a loop and the other a hook formed thereon, the branch provided with the hook extending through and guided by said loop, one of said branches being looped around a binding screw whereby an electrical conductor maybe connected to the wire.

2. An electrical connecter clip comprising an insulating sleeve, electrically conductive gripping jaws located beyond one end of said sleeve and adapted to grip an electrical conductor, means movable longitudinally of said sleeve and operatively connected with one of said gripping jaws or the character shown and described will enable and extending through said sleeve and outwardly of the opposite end thereof from said jaws for relatively moving said jaws to open position, a spring operatively associated with said jaws and said means for normally maintaining said jaws in closed gripping relationship, and means for electrically connecting with said gripping jaws another electrical conductor which is independent structurally and functionally of the connecting clip whereby said jaws form the medium for electrically connecting said conductors.

3. An electrical connecter clip comprising an insulating sleeve, electrically conductive gripping jaws located beyond one end of said sleeve and adapted to grip an electrical conductor, one or said jaws being movable relative to said sleeve, means movable longitudinally of said sleeve and operatively connected with one of said jaws and extending through said sleeve and outwardly of the opposite end thereof for relatively moving said jaws to open position, a spring operatively associated with said jaws and said means for normally maintaining said jaws in closed gripping relationship, and means for electrically connecting with said jaws another electrical conductor which is independent functionally and structurally of the connecter clip whereby said jaws form the electrical connecting medium between said conductors.

WILLIAM H. BROWN. 

